Man allegedly carjacks two vehicles, leads police on a chase

Published 6:35 pm, Saturday, December 17, 2011

A man who allegedly carjacked two different vehicles Friday night and led Midland police on a high-speed chase into Sterling County is being held in Midland County jail on a $275,500 bond.

Midland police responded to a carjacking in progress at the Stripes convenience store at 3200 E. Highway 158, about 11:37 p.m. Friday. Upon arrival, officers learned that a white male, later identified as Justin Watson, 23, got into a dark gray 2004 GMC Envoy and forced the passenger out of the vehicle, said Tasa Watts, Midland police's public information officer.

The suspect headed eastbound on Highway 158 and then the vehicle had a blowout. A white pickup pulling a trailer pulled over to assist. The suspect approached the pickup, and after a confrontation, he took the vehicle with one occupant still in the pickup, Watts said.

Officers located the vehicle near Farm-to-Market 1379. Officers activated emergency lights and sirens, but the suspect failed to stop and led police on a chase with the unwilling passenger still in the vehicle.

The Sterling County Sheriff's Office deployed stop sticks and the vehicle came to a stop a few miles outside of Sterling City, Watts said.

Watson was taken into custody and charged with two second-degree counts of robbery, a third-degree felony of evading detention in a motor vehicle, a third-degree felony charge of unauthorized use of a vehicle and a misdemeanor charge of possession of marijuana. The passenger in the vehicle was not harmed.

Watts was transported to the Midland County Central Detention Center early Saturday morning. If convicted he could receive up to 20 years in prison for each count of robbery and up to 10 years in prison for each third-degree felony.